Table leg lock



Aug 16, 1932.

G, w. HAMBRooK ETAL TABLE LEG LOCK Filed oct. 31. 1931 Patented Aug. 16,1932 -ZUNITBSITES G LVARINMEG. co., or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, 'A CORPORATIONor ILLINOIS y i rientri Lne- LooxY v Thisinvention relates to theartf'of col-` lapsible tables, such as card`tables,.that arev commonlyconstructed with inwardly fold-. able hinged legs, and the inventionhas`reference more particularly to an improved devicel forautomaticallylocking the legs in fullyextended position, when Vthe table. is to beused'.` v

The principal object of the invention has rf been to provide a verysimple, strong and re liable table leg lock, which will automaticallylock the .leg in'eXtended position when, the table is upright, and willautomatically unlock the leg when the table is laid onits side orinverted, thus doing away with the 11e-j cessity of hand manipulated,lock devices at present extensively employed.

Our invention, its manner of use,and the advantages inherent thereinwill all rbevread-V go; ily understood by persons familiar with ta blesof this type from the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in whichw'e have illus-Vtrated one simple and approvedembodiment "2-, of the invention, andwherein v:-,--

Fig. .1 is a vertical section throughthe cor-` ner of the table and the;upper portion of the leg, showing the latter in extended Or voper-v native'position, and locked.

Fig. 2 is a similar View, showing the leg unlocked and folded beneath'the top of the table. 1

Fig. 3 is a vertical section in a plane at right angles to that of Figs.1 and-2, on the i line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of a member which forms the'inner end andbottom walls of a housing in which the leg is pivoted.

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of a keeper for the gravityactuatedlocking member designed to prevent its accidental escape.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a corner portion of the flattable top, which preferably is of sheet steel. Attached to the underside of the corner portion of the table top, as by cap screws 11, is acorner bracket,

preferably taking the form of a hollow housing comprising parallel sidewalls 12, an outer end wall 13, an inner end wall 14, and a bottom wall15. The inner end wall 14 and bot- Applicapton ledbctober 31, 1931.`.Serial No. 572,289.

tomwall 15 arerconveniently made in a single structure shown` in detailin Fig. 4, the

upper end ofv the wall 14 having an integraly attaching flange 16 andtappedfholes 17 to receive cap screws 18f-by which it is secured to thebottom of the table top. The bottom ywall 15 is unitedto an inwardlydirected flange 19 on the lower endy of the Outer end wall 13V as by acap screw 20. This bottomy wall 15 of the housing is formed with a holeyGEORGE w. HAMBROOK AND wennenl n. CLARIN. OF onroneohttnvors, Assrencas'roY 21, the "function of which will later' appear.l

22designates a hollow metal table leg,

thatl is formed with a forked upper end, the1 parallellimbs of the forkbeing designatedv by 23. '-These'limbs 23 lare entered from beneath intothev housing, lying against the -V play of the limbs 23 of the forkedend of the leg when vswinging the latter between folded and extendedpositions.' Y

. Confinedwithin the housing'is the freely movable gravitysactuatedlocking member, `which preferably takes the -form of a'steel ball 27."This ball is of slightly less diameterthan the hole 21, and its the seat26, so that when the. leg 22 vis extended at right angles to the tabletop, and the table is in uprightposition, the ball comes to rest inthehole 21 and seat 26, with the lower edge of the hole l21 slightly abovethe horii zontal plane of the' center Of the-ball, asl shown in Fig. 1,whereby the'leg is securely locked against swinging in eitherdirection.l

Since, in the construction shown, the hole 21 is large enough to permitthe ball to passl therethrough, means must be provided to pre ventescape of the f ball when the legV has been folded to a positioncarrying the seat f 26 beyond the hole 21. The means herein shown forthis purpose Yconsists of akeeper member mounted in the upper forked endof the leg which receives and retains theball when the leg is folded.This keeper member,

'ko'Y shown in isolated detail in Fig. 5, preferably comprises atransverse wall 28 formed With oppositely disposed upwardly extendinglimbs 29 aperturedto fitthe pivot pin 24:, and a pair of dependingoppositely disposed limbs iO-which, with the transverse Wall 28,

' the forked extension of the leg so as to swing kwith the latter by-aVcrosspin` 31 extending through the limb-s 29 and also therli1nbs23:

of the leg. V

To fold the leg the ltable is Alaid on its side, and the leg tiltedslightly above the horizont-al. Theball- 27 at once krolls out of itsseat, through the hole 21, and into the pocket. The leg is then swunginwardly with the ballin thepocket,

and when the open end of. the pocket has.: passed out of'register withthe hole 21, the

ball is trapped in the pocket byjthe opposed inner end wall 14 of thehousing, which latter,

Yit will .be.observed, is curved substantially on an arc struck from theaxisV of the pivot pin 24. To unfold .the leg, the table. ispreferably.'

laid 0n its side, the legis swung outwardly,

bringing the openv end' of the pocket intoV register with the hole 21,and when the table israised to upright position, the ball automaticallydrops into locking position.l

The device-thus does away with the necessity of separate manual lockingA*and unlocking devices, requiring only the placing of the table in afavorable position to allow the lock-V ing ball to move by gravity'intoand out of a locking position; the ball at all times being itself lockedagainst escape from the housing by the keeper member.

lhile we have herein shownand described one specific form of theinvention,"which, in-

Y practice, has been found to satisfactorily ef-v ,purview of theclaims.

fectuate thev stated purpose or object, we do not'limit the invention tothe details of structure and arrangement shown, but reserve all suchvariations, modificationsand mechan-H ed position of the leg, and agravity-actuatedl ball adapted to occupy said hole and seat in theupright position of the table to thereby lock said leg in extendedposition. r

2.. The combination with a table top, of housing attached to and beneathsaid top formed with a hole'in its bottom wall, 'aV leg said housing of'slightly less diameter than saidhole, and a keeper preventing escape ofsaid locking member through said hole when the leg is folded.

3. The combination with a tabletop, of a housing attached to and'beneath said top formed with a holein its bottom wall, leg

pivoted on opposite sides of said housing formed with an internal seatfor a locking memberbelow and registering with said hole in thefextendedpositionofth'e leg, a' freely K Y A ,y j movable', gravity-actuated ballinsaid housfrom the extendedfp'osi'- tion (Fig. 1) to the foldedposition (Eig, 2),

ing offs'lightly less diameter than said hole,

and-a .keper preventing escape of said ball.

throughf'said hole when the leg is folded.'v v 4. The-'combination with.a table top, of` a housingattached ,-to and'beneath saidtop` formedl*with a lhole 'in its bottom Wall,` a leg having a forkeduppeivendportion-pivoted within and on opposite sides of saidhousing,

Vsaidleg formed with an Ainternal seat'for av the upper forked portionof said leg serving, 'Y i in cooperation with a Vwall of said housing,to

trap and prevent escapeofsai'd locking me1nI i ber' through saidholewhen the leg is folded.'

The combinationwith atabletopyof a housing attached to vand beneath saidtop.

formed Vwith afhole ini-ts bottom'wall, :i leg i having -a forkedupperend portion Vpivoted within and' on opposite sides of said housing, saidleg formed with an internal ball seat below and registering withsaidhole in the 'eX-` tended position of the leg, a gravity-actuatedball insaid housing of slightly less diameter than said hole, anda'keeper rigidly mounted in the upper formed portion of said leg, saidkeeper formed with adownwardly opening` pocket adapted totrap andprevent lescape of said ball through said holefwhen the `leg is' folded.GEORGE W. HAMBROOK.

CLARIN.

ioo

ivoted onvsaid housing formed with a seat or a locking member below andregistering with said hole in the extended position of the leg, agravity-actuatedlocking:member inY

